What's on the Oregon General Supervising Electrician Exam?
The Oregon General Supervising exam has 64 questions in two sections, 52 code and 12 calculations, and no published outline. What to expect, how Oregon's amendments change the 2026 NEC, and how to prepare for the calculations.
Contents
What's on the Oregon General Supervising Electrician Exam?
The Oregon General Supervising exam has 64 questions in 4 hours, open book, with 75% to pass. BCD lists it as a two-section exam: 52 code questions and 12 calculations.
There is no official outline
Oregon publishes no content outline for any electrician exam: no areas, item counts or percentages. The exam follows the 2026 Oregon Electrical Specialty Code, the 2026 NEC with Oregon's Table 1-E amendments, in force since October 1, 2026. The program chief told the Board in September 2026 that the exam bank, including the supervisor test, would switch to the 2026 material by that date.
How we weight our practice exam
The weights below are ours, built from the NEC's chapter structure plus Oregon's own rules, with the 12 calculations as their own area.
| Area (our weighting) | Questions |
|---|---|
| Calculations | 12 |
| Branch Circuits, Feeders, Services and Overcurrent Protection | 10 |
| Wiring Methods and Materials | 8 |
| Equipment for General Use, Motors and Transformers | 8 |
| Grounding and Bonding | 6 |
| Special Occupancies, Equipment and Conditions | 6 |
| Oregon Amendments and Licensing Law | 6 |
| General Requirements and Definitions | 5 |
| Limited Energy and Communications Systems | 3 |
| Total | 64 |
The calculations section
Twelve questions sounds small, but exam-prep providers report that this section is scored on its own, so missing four of twelve can fail you even with a strong code section. Expect:
- Load calculations. The 2026 NEC moved them from Article 220 to Article 120, and lowered the dwelling general lighting load from 3 to 2 VA per square foot. Study material written for the 2023 NEC uses the old numbers.
- Voltage drop and conductor sizing.
- Motor circuits: full-load current from the tables, then conductor, branch-circuit protection and overload sizing.
- Overcurrent protection for feeders and transformers.
Where Oregon changes the 2026 NEC
A supervising electrician signs the permits, so Oregon's differences matter most here:
- GFCI in dwellings (210.8(A)): 125-volt, single-phase, 15- and 20-ampere receptacles only; unfinished basement areas and countertop kitchen receptacles; 210.8(A)(8) is not adopted.
- Surge protection on feeders and services (215.18 and 230.67): not adopted until October 1, 2027.
- Emergency disconnects for outside feeders (225.41): not adopted.
- NM cable in dropped ceilings (334.12): Oregon adds an exception allowing NM cable in a dropped or suspended ceiling cavity in buildings other than dwellings when installed per 334.15.
How to study
- Work calculations from scratch until the sequence is automatic. You cannot bring worked examples into the room.
- Mark every Table 1-E change in your NEC. BCD allows margin notes that cross-reference a state amendment.
- Know the signing supervisor's duties in OAR 918-282-0140 and who needs which license under ORS 479.
Practice for the exam
Our Oregon General Supervising practice test follows our weighting above, cites the 2026 NEC section or Oregon rule for every answer and works out every calculation. For test-day logistics, see the Supervising exam day.
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